GCSE Design and Technology - full course to be taught in one year?

The academy in which I work is planning that all optional GCSEs are to be taught in one year starting in September 2011. The current Y9 have selected 4 options - 2 of which are to be taught in Y10 and the other 2 in Y11. Students will be given double the amount of lesson time each week in order to have the same amount of teaching time condensed into the one year.

I am Head of Design and Technology and we offer Food Technology, Graphic Products, Resistant Materials and Textiles Technology - has anyone taught any of these GCSEs as a FULL course GCSE in one year? Has anyone worked in a school that have proposed this idea and have you managed to persuade your school against it?

I'm trying to put a paper together to outline my departments worries as to how this will affect our students - we just can't see the students having the skill level to complete a full course GCSE in one year. As a Food Technology teacher I'm not sure the parents will be able to afford to cook twice a week every week.

The academy in which I work is planning that all optional GCSEs are to be taught in one year starting in September 2011. The current Y9 have selected 4 options - 2 of which are to be taught in Y10 and the other 2 in Y11. Students will be given double the amount of lesson time each week in order to have the same amount of teaching time condensed into the one year.

I am Head of Design and Technology and we offer Food Technology, Graphic Products, Resistant Materials and Textiles Technology - has anyone taught any of these GCSEs as a FULL course GCSE in one year? Has anyone worked in a school that have proposed this idea and have you managed to persuade your school against it?

I'm trying to put a paper together to outline my departments worries as to how this will affect our students - we just can't see the students having the skill level to complete a full course GCSE in one year. As a Food Technology teacher I'm not sure the parents will be able to afford to cook twice a week every week.

The course is designed to be two years. Stating the obvious but thats the bare fact. Hope they don't blame you if the results are not good! What will ofstead say? Thats the question i would love to know.......There's always some clown who thinks they are clever, trying to break new ground. Why do they do that? what purpose does it serve to have a million GCSE'S? If it was to be condensed and double time given in both year 10 and 11 then why are they doing it? Bet you dont get double time!!

My colleage has almost completed the first Year 9, one year GCSE in resistant materials and has had a nightmare of a year. I have just been informed that I am to do this next year, but with careful planning it is achievable. We are given 15 hours a fortnight to do the work which works out at 105 hours in term one which is enough to get through two small projects. As for the GCSE results, my colleague is waiting with baited breath !

Hi. We are about to start the process and would be really inerested in visiting and/or speaking to some who have started the process. We are particularly concerned about top end achievement from younger students in just one year.

hi ginny
iam a head of tech and teach predominantly food. was wondering how things had gone at your school because my slt have just introduced the same proposals for starting june 2012(we have a roll over here aswell!) My main concerns are the teaching pace but also for food the need to cook twice a week-just don't think our children will afford the ingredients. Like you i am trying to gather as much info against the proposal as poss. An email back would be sooo appreciated klmundy@tiscali.co.uk.
ta
karen

hi ginny i am in the same situation. next year d&t will be a one year GCSE course. I have done a sstruture for the course and it is quite tight course to teach. The designs briefs will have to be careflly selected best to give year 9s small textiles poducts to design and make. i am thinking of taking my lot to a nursery to use as their client, this will be very stimulatign and relates to the real world. thanks all for yur advice and thoughts
katie me

Hi,
As a parent as well as a food teacher, I would be very unhappy about the cost of a one year course in terms of ingredients - not because I couldn't afford it, but the sheer amount of ingredients needed. I wouldn't hesitate in giving my views to the school. Have you thought about asking parents points of view to try and get some of them back you up in your argument??
Good luck with it - I hope SLT see what they are doing before it goes ahead!!

I'm surprised no-one has pointed what gets lost with this method of delivery - choice, creativity, investigation, research, design, enrichment, new developments. Almost everything of value in the importance statement for D&T!
This approach can only accelerate the move away from 'educating' children to an exam factory. Pressure on teachers has led many to design courses that are the equivalent of paint by numbers. Did you ever see a painting done like that you would buy? Schools should be about educating all children about the wonders of our subject and helping some develop a passion they will want to follow as career.
How about we judge departments on how many children go on to take FE/HE courses or go into jobs associated with the subject?

We do a 'short, fat' GCSE in Year 9 for Resistant Materials & Product Design but get 15 hours a fortnight contact time. I was a big sceptic but having this amount of contact time makes you get to know the pupils and personally I am now in favour of it.

we will be having a one week timetable and 5 periods a week. the periods will be blocked 3 together and 2 together. I know my tech students well as I see them over 6 periods a fortnight.
My concern is that i will be getting the children to jump over hoops to get through the course. year 9s i feel will be a bit immature to do the one year course. Tell me

tecteach said:

We do a 'short, fat' GCSE in Year 9 for Resistant Materials & Product Design but get 15 hours a fortnight contact time. I was a big sceptic but having this amount of contact time makes you get to know the pupils and personally I am now in favour of it. tech teacher how was it with your yr 9s?
get back to me

I know this is an old thread however i am interested in how this model worked out. We will be following this model in September. GCSE Product Design and Resistant in one year. A new twist is the groups will be vertical with potentially Yrs 9, 10, 11 in the same class. Any feedback would be appreciated please.

Hi everyone
Thank you for all your feedback.I didn't actually end up having to teach the full GCSE in one year as I left the school before it was implemented.
I hope everyone that has had to teach the GCSE in one year has found some ways to make it work for them